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Denied

The Board denied the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person, as the evidence did not show that the Veteran was unable to keep himself ordinarily clean and presentable without assistance or that he had physical incapacity which required care or assistance on a regular basis.

The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's ability to work until November 2014 demonstrated a degree of functioning inconsistent with the need for aid and attendance, as well as evidence showing he was able to leave his house independently for medical appointments and a restaurant drive-through.

Claimed conditions
Not specified in this decision
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
October 8, 2025
Citation
25012629

Veterans Law Judge

RYAN T. KESSEL

Decisions by this judge: 2,199 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 25012629.

What this means for you

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